When your first pick in the draft doesn’t come until the triple digits, it’s understood you won’t be coming away from the proceedings with a blue-chip prospect. Picking in the fourth round and beyond means sifting through the scratch-and-dent bin to find a diamond in the rough.

Luckily, the Flames have done this a couple of times in the past, including recently with picks like Andrew Mangiapane, Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Phillips. Not to mention other mighty mites like Hakan Loob and Theoren Fleury, who were chosen late by the organization back in the ’80s.

Snagging smaller, more skilled guys is one way to pick for value late in the draft. Another is to look for an overaged player who is suddenly putting up above average results, indicating they may have been unfairly passed over in their first draft year. Finally, sometimes a team can grab a European player who might be toiling away in one of the less highly scouted junior or senior leagues,...